Motored clock



1939. A. G. JARRY 2,169,647

MOTORED CLOCK Filed Oct. 8, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 15, 1939. I A. G. JARRY MOTORED CLOCK Filed Oct. 8, 1934 Fig-7 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig 9 Patented Aug. 15, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 8,

1934, Serial No. 747,467

In France October 11, 1933 6 Claims.

The present invention relates to electric clocks that are intended to be electrically connected to an electric distribution system.

According to the present invention, the strik- 5 ing mechanism is operated directly by a part of the usual clockwork.

Other features of the present invention will result from the following detailed description of specific embodiments thereof.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be hereinafter described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, given merely by way of example, and in which:

Figs. 1 to 5 are diagrammatical views of the striking mechanism according to the present invention, shown in several different positions respectively;

Fig. 6 shows a modification of a detail of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the device shown in Figs. 1 to 5;

Figs. 8 and 9 are diagrammatic detail views illustrating the working of the resilient catch means of the device;

Fig, 10 is a side view corresponding to Fig. 6.

In the drawings, l designates the control Wheel which carries, in the usual manner, two projecting pins 2 and 3, located at unequal distances from its center. Pin 3, which is farthest from the center, corresponds to the striking of hours, while the other pin, 2, traveling in a clockwise direction, corresponds to the striking of halfhours. 4 is a snail driven by the hour-wheel.

According to the present invention, the rack 5 is pivoted to the end of lever 6, about an axis a, said lever B being itself pivotally mounted about an axis 1 carried by the frame A of the mechanism. This lever is provided with a nose 8 rigid therewith and adapted to cooperate with 40 pins 2 and 3. A stop 6' limits the displacements of the lever in the downward direction (that is to say toward the left hand side of Figs. 1 to 4) The rack is provided with an arm 5 intended to rest on the snail, in the known manner. The rack is provided with a series of pins or pegs 9 disposed at equal intervals from one another and intended to come into engagement with the teeth of driving wheel in. These pins 9 are also arranged to cooperate with a small plate H a 50 carried by the tail ll of hammer l2, said tail H being movable in a plane located in front of pins 9, so that it can move freely with respect to said pins (Fig. 7). The downward displacements of this hammer are limited by a stop I 3.

The driving wheel I 0 is chosen among the wheels that serve to reduce the speed of the motor in such manner that the speed of revolution of said driving Wheel may correspond to an acceptable rate of operation of the hammer,

A finger or projection l4, rigidly carried by the upper part of the rack, extends behind the latter parallel to axes l and a.

A stop l5, carried in fixed position by the frame A of the mechanism, consists of a curved plate the faces of which are cylindrical surfaces having a common axis which coincides with axis a when the parts are in the position of rest. In this position, finger or projection 14 rests upon the upper edge of said plate I5, upon which it is elastically held by a spring 16 fixed at its lower end to frame A. At a small distance below this stop [5 and substantially in line therewith, there is provided another stop ll, also rigidly carried by frame A and adapted to cooperate with finger or projection M.

In the state of rest of the striking mechanism (Figs. 1 and 7), lever B is out of contact with its stop 5' and the pegs or teeth 9 of the rack are out of contact with the teeth of the driving wheel Hi. When pin 2 (corresponding to the striking of half hours) comes into contact with nose 8, a short time before the half hour, it causes lever 6 to pivot in an anti-clockwise direction, that is to say away from its stop 6'. Lever 6 transmits this displacement to rack 5. The projec tion l of said rack is pushed beyond the edge of .stop l5 and the rack drops, projection l4 sliding along the upper side of stop l5 and finally striking stop I! (Fig. 2). In the course of this movement of the rack, the pegs or teeth 9 thereof do not come into mesh with the teeth of the driving wheel l0. As soon as pin 2 releases nose 8, which takes place exactly at the half hour (Fig. 2), lever 6, under the action of gravity, pivots about point 1 in a clockwise direction, this movement being stopped when said lever 6 comes into contact with stop 6' (Fig. 3). In the course of this movement (from Fig. 2 to Fig. 3), projection 14 moves toward the right with respect to stop I! on which it was resting, so as finally to slip from said stop and to release the rack, which is pivoted about its axis a carried by lever 6. But the plate Ha of the hammer tail l l is so positioned that before projection [4 moves to the right far enough in Fig. 2 to disengage from stop ll, the last two pins on rack 5 straddle plate Ila, so as to prevent said rack from dropping. Further movement of the rack in the same direction (transversely of the pin-carrying arm) brings the pins of the rack into engagement with wheel l0 and the parts thus come into the position illustrated by Fig. 3. Wheel l0 now drives the hammer through the tail ll thereof and releases it when said tail escapes from between the two last pegs of the rack to strike one stroke for the half hour. Then, as the rack is further moved upwardly, (the wheel l0 rotating clockwise) its projection 14 is brought between When pin 3 (which corresponds to hours) actson nose 8. which takes place some time before the hour, lever B is caused to oscillate in an anti-clockwise direction through a greater angle, as shown by Fig 4. Projection I4 is first brought into contact with stop II (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4) and then past said stop. The rack drops, its pegs 9 being out of contact with the teeth of wheel l9, and it is stopped by the contact of arm 5' with the snail 4. When, at the exact time of the hour, pin 3 releases nose 8, lever ii'pivots, in a clockwise direction, under the effect of gravity, until it is brought into contact with its stop 6. In the course of this movement rack 5 engages the driving wheel Ill and the pins 9 of said rack straddle the plate Ha of the hammer tail ll (Fig. 5). At this time, there is below the tail of the hammer a number of pegs 9 that correspond to the angular position of snail 4, that is to say to the number of hours to be struck. The rack is moved upwardly by the driving wheel, operating the hammer as many times as there are pins 9 under plate Ila, and it is finally locked in its position of rest by the action of spring I6, as above explained.

The present invention is applicable not only to electric clocks of the type including a synchronous motor but also to electrically wound clocks, the driving wheel I0 being still one element of the winding gear capable of giving a suitable rate of striking of the mechanism.

In the case of clocks of small size, as for instance in the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, the speed reducing mechanism of the winding gear is actuated by the armature l8 of the motor through the electromagnetic winding i9 of which the current from the distribution system flows in a continuous manner. The motor is locked by the friction of lever 20 bearing with its own weight upon the periphery of armature IS. The motor is released when lever 29 is moved upwardly through the action of a nut 2| having a conical shape.

In order that the winding operation will be continued throughout the actual striking period, that is to say for the whole of the upward movement of the rack, lever B is provided with an arm 24 which lifts lever 20 whenever lever 6 is released by one of the pins 2 and 3, after the dropping of the rack, so that armature I8 is free to wind the motor. Arm 24 is caused to pivot through a certain angle, resulting from the passage from the position of rest (Fig. 1) to the active position (Fig. 3). Said, arm 24 is brought back into its initial position, corresponding to the blocking of the winding motor |8l9 when lever 6 is brought back to the position illustrated by Fig. 1.

It is obviously sufiicient, for a good working of the mechanism, to ensure that the total time of movement of the rack in a period of twelve hours must be smaller than that necessary for the electric motor to wind up the main, spring for a corresponding period. It is also obvious that nut 2| lets lever 20 brake the armature l8 before the maximum winding up of the spring in order that, when the striking of any hour takes place, the spring should not be fully wound.

In a general manner, while I have described, in the preceding specification, what I deem to be practical and eflicient embodiments of the present invention, it should be well understood that I do not wish to be limited thereto as there might 'be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the invention as comprehended within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an electric clock including a frame, and a clockwork mounted in said frame, a striking mechanism which comprises, in combination, at least one driving wheel means for rotating said wheel, a hammer pivotally mounted in said frame, a lever pivoted in said frame having a position of rest, a swinging rack pivoted to said lever, adapted to cooperate both with said wheel and said hammer, catch means for yieldingly locking said rack out of engagement with said wheel and said hammer when said lever is in said position of rest, said lever being adapted, when turned in one direction, from its position of rest, to release said rack from said catch means, means for limiting the downward displacement of said rack when released from said catch means, said lever being adapted, when turned in the opposite direction past its position of rest, to bring the rack released from said catch means into engagement with both said wheel and said hammer, whereby the hammer is operated and the rack is gradually brought back into its initial position in engagement with said catch means, and means, operative by said clockwork, for giving said lever rotary displacements first in the first mentioned direction and then in the opposite direction past said position of rest, when the striking mechanism is to be operated.

2. A striking mechanism according to claim 1 in which said means for limiting the downward displacements of said rack when released from said catch means include a stop carried by said frame and adapted to cooperate with said rack and a snail operative by said clockwork and adapted to cooperate with said rack, the last mentioned means of claim 1 including two pins operative by said clockwork, the first pin giving the first mentioned rotary displacement of said lever an amplitude such that, after being disengaged from said catch means, the rack comes into engagement with said stop, and the second pin being so arranged as to give the first mentioned rotary displacement of said lever an amplitude such that, after being disengaged from said catch means, the rack moves past said stop and comes into engagement with said snail.

3. In an electric clock including a frame and a clockwork supported by said frame, a striking mechanism which comprises, in combination, at least one driving wheel, means for rotating said wheel at least while an hour or a half hour is to be struck, a hammer pivotally mounted in said frame, a lever pivoted to said frame having a positionof rest, a swinging rack pivoted to said lever, adapted to cooperate with both said wheel and said hammer, catch means for yieldingly holding said rack in upper position out of en gagement with said wheel and said hammer when said lever is in its position of rest, a stop carried by said frame, a projection rigid with said rack adapted to cooperate with said stop when said rack is released from said catch means and drops under the action of gravity, a snail operative by said blockwork, an arm rigid with said rack adapted to come into contact with said snail when said rack is released from said catch means and moved beyond its position in which said projection is applied against said stop, said lever being adapted, when given a rotary displacement in one direction from its position of rest, to release said rack from said catch means, a second stop carried by said frame adapted to cooperate with said lever so as to limit its rotary displacement in the opposite direction past its position of rest, this lever being adapted, in the course of this: second mentioned rotary displacement under the action of gravity, to cause said rack to move into engagement with both said driving wheel and said hammer, said stops being so positioned and said snail being so shaped that, at the end of the second mentioned rotary displacement of said lever, the end of said hammer is either engaged between the two last lower teeth of the rack when said projection was precedingly engaged against said first mentioned stop, or between any two teeth consecutively disposed on the rack, according to the angular position of said snail, when said arm was precedingly bearing upon said snail, two pins actuated by said clockwork adapted to cooperate periodically and alternately with said lever so as to give it rotary displacements in the first mentioned direction, one of said pins being so arranged as to give these rotary displacements in the first mentioned direction a limited amplitude just capable of disengaging said rack from said catch. means, whereby said projection can be brought into engagement with said first mentioned stop, the other pin being so arranged as to give these rotary displacements in, the first mentioned direction a greater amplitude so as to move said rack beyond the position in which said projection is in contact with said first mentioned stop, whereby said arm comes to rest on said snail, said lever being so: pivoted to said frame that its displacements in the second mentioned direction are produced by the action of gravity thereon when it is released by either of said pins.

4. In a clock including an electric motor for winding up said clock permanently fed with electric current, a device according to claim 1 further including braking means for stopping the working of said motor, means for operatively connecting said motor with said driving wheel, and means operative by said lever for bringing said braking means out of action during the second mentioned rotary displacement of said lever, whereby said driving wheel can then be operated by said motor.

5. In an electric clock including a frame and a clockwork supported by said frame, a striking mechanism which comprises, in combination, at least one driving wheel, means for rotating said wheel at least while an hour or a half hour is to be struck, a hammer pivotally mounted in said frame, a lever pivoted to said frame having a position of rest, a swinging rack, pivoted to said lever, adapted to cooperate with both said wheel and said hammer, catch means for yieldingly holding said rack in upper position out of engagement with said wheel and said hammer when said lever is in its position of rest, a stop carried by said frame, a projection rigid with said rack adapted to cooperate with said stop when said rack is released from said catch means and drops under the action of gravity, said lever being adapted, when given a rotary displacement in one direction from its position of rest, to release said rack from said catch means, a second stop carried by said frame adapted to cooperate with said lever so as to limit its rotary displacement in the opposite direction past its position of rest, this lever being adapted, in the course of this second mentioned rotary displacement under the action of gravity, to cause said rack to move into engagement with both. said driving wheel and said hammer, said stops being so positioned that, at the end of the second mentioned rotary displacement of said lever, the end of the hammer is engaged between the two last lower teeth of the rack, a pin actuated by said clockwork adapted to cooperate periodically with said lever so as to give it rotary displacements in the first mentioned direction of a limited amplitude just capable of disengaging said rack from said catch means, whereby said projection can be brought into engagement with said first mentioned stop, said lever being so pivoted to said frame that its displacements in the second mentioned direction are produced by the action of gravity thereon when it is released by said pin.

6. In an. electric clock including a frame and a clockwork supported by said frame, a striking mechanism which comprises, in combination, at least one driving wheel, and means for rotating said wheel at least while an hour or a half hour is to be struck, a striking mechanism which comprises, in combination, a hammer pivotally mounted in said frame, a lever pivoted to said frame having a position of rest, a swinging rack pivoted to said lever, adapted to cooperate with both said wheel and said hammer, catch means for yieldingly holding said rack in upper position out of engagement with said wheel and said hammer when said lever is in its position of rest, a snail operative by said clockwork, an arm rigid with said rack adapted to come into contact with said snail when said rack is given a predetermined displacement in the course of which it is released from said catch means, said lever being adapted, when given a rotary displacement in one direction from its position of rest, to impart this predetermined displacement to said rack, a second stop carried by said frame adapted to cooperate with said lever so as to limit its rotary displacement in the opposite direction past its position of rest, this lever being adapted, in the course of this second mentioned rotary displacement under the action of gravity, to cause said rack to move into engagement with both said driving wheel and said hammer, said stop being so positioned and said snail being so shaped that, at the end of the second mentioned rotary displacement of said lever, the end of the hammer is engaged between two teeth of the rack, in a position depending upon the angular position occupied by said snail when said arm was bearing upon said snail, a pin actuated by said clockwork adapted to cooperate periodically with said lever so as to give it rotary displacements in the first mentioned direction, said pin. being so arranged as to give these rotary displacements in the first mentioned direction an amplitude sufficient for imparting the above mentioned predetermined displacement to said rack, said lever being so pivoted to said frame that its displacements in the second mentioned direction are produced by the action of gravity thereon when it is released by said pin.

ALBERT GASTON J ARRY. 

